Hawaii school drill requirements

Where does Hawaii's drill duty come from?

State law directs the State Fire Council to adopt a state fire code setting minimum fire safety requirements. Hawaii adopts the 2024 edition of NFPA 1 (a national model fire code) as its state fire code, with state amendments. The current state fire code took effect September 5, 2025. It is enforced by the fire authority designated under state law.

How often must schools hold fire drills?

The state fire code requires fire drills at high schools, middle schools and intermediate schools at least quarterly during school sessions. That quarterly rule is a Hawaii amendment that adds an exception to the national code's school drill section. The Hawaii amendment sets no fire drill frequency for elementary schools; its quarterly exception names only high, middle and intermediate schools, so elementary schools fall under the national code's own school drill section (NFPA 1 § 20.2.4.2.3(1)). Under NFPA 1 (2024) § 20.2.4.2.3(1), which Hawaii adopts as its State Fire Code (rule 4), elementary schools must hold at least one emergency egress drill every month the school is in session. Those monthly drills may be put off only when both conditions are met: the school is in a climate where the weather is severe, and at least four drills were held before the drills are put off, with the full required number still held. In 2023, the legislature found that HIDOE requires annual fire drills.

What drills does HIDOE require by policy?

The Board of Education's Safe Schools, Safe Students policy (E-305) sets no drill types or counts; it directs the Department to put safety and security procedures in place. The Board's Safe Schools policy (305-3) also sets no drill types or counts; it directs the Department to set safety procedures for threats such as bomb threats and demonstrations, and covers school resource officer agreements. HIDOE says all its schools hold a set of required drills; this is department policy, not a statute or rule. Lockdown: doors are locked and students stay in classrooms when a threat inside or outside the school is identified. Shelter-in-place: students take refuge in set areas to protect them from hazardous materials or severe weather. Evacuation, including fire: students and staff leave the school. Earthquake: drop, cover and hold on until the shaking stops. Tsunami: for schools in tsunami zones, an evacuation drill to a set area away from the reach of tsunami waves. If students cannot return to campus after an evacuation, parent or guardian reunification procedures take place. A 2026 HIDOE training for charter schools lists earthquake, evacuation, fire, off-campus, tsunami, lockdown and shelter-in-place drills as required annual drills; this is department guidance, not statute or rule. The same training lists fire drills monthly for elementary schools and quarterly for secondary schools; this is HIDOE's guidance, not the fire code text. HIDOE's parent emergency brochure (2009, still posted) says all schools have evacuation sites and hold evacuation drills every year.

What do principals have to do?

In 2018 testimony to the legislature, HIDOE said principals must develop emergency action plans for their schools. It also said schools must hold earthquake, evacuation, lockdown, shelter-in-place and tsunami drills and update their emergency action plans once a year as needed.

What about active shooter training?

Act 53 (2023) requires HIDOE to work with three employee unions to develop and run an active shooter training program in all public and charter schools. Public and charter school students may decline to take part in that training. This covers the training program, not drills. The act was signed on June 2, 2023, and is listed in the notes to HRS chapter 302A, the education chapter of state law.

Who is covered?

The quarterly fire drill rule names high schools, middle schools and intermediate schools. It does not limit that rule to public schools; it names those school levels without distinguishing public, charter or private. HIDOE's required drills are its own department policy for its schools. Act 53's training program covers public and charter schools.

What happened to recent bills?

2026 HB2556, as introduced, would require at least four emergency practice drills a year at each school, some at awkward times such as recess or an assembly. It would also require yearly staff training on violence prevention and emergency response with law enforcement, and testing of PA systems and fire alarms at least every three months. HB2556 did not pass: its last recorded action was a referral to the House Education and Finance committees on February 2, 2026, and the 2026 session ended without further action. 2025 SB141 SD1 would name August 8 each year Hawaii disaster drill day. SB141 did not pass: it was carried over to the 2026 session on December 8, 2025, and the 2026 session ended without further action. 2025 HB1445 did not pass: it was carried over to 2026 on December 8, 2025, and the 2026 session ended without further action. 2026 SB2029 (Hawaii Disaster Drill Day) did not pass: its last recorded action was a referral to committee on January 22, 2026, and the 2026 session ended without further action.